Napolitano back in bike

Positive tests have kept George Napolitano Jr. out of the bike this winter, but the leading driver-trainer at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs over the past several years was back in the sulky at Pocono Downs this week. He won all five qualifiers at Pocono Downs on Tuesday and came back to win four of the five on Thursday morning.

Napolitano had not driven in a race since Dec. 3 at Harrah's Chester, when he won a $5,000 claimer. When Napolitano moved south to Pompano Park for the winter months, track management told him he couldn't drive due to a positive test in Pennsylvania.

On Aug. 4 a horse trained by Napolitano tested positive for aminorex. This is one of the aminorex positives which is on hold in Pennsylvania while the source of the drug is being investigated.

Also, last April three Napolitano-trained horses racing at Pocono Downs tested positive for the combination of three drugs--dihydroergocornine, dihydroergocryptine and dihydroergocristine, which can be used in humans for vascular conditions and to treat Parkinson's disease. Napolitano was given 90-day suspensions and $1,500 fines for each positive. Napolitano appealed, and on Dec. 5 the Pennsylvania State Harness Racing Commission amended his penalty due to "mitigating circumstances," which commission executive director Anton Leppler said was due to improper notification. Napolitano's penalty was revised to a $3,000 fine and 10-day suspension to be served from Dec. 8, 2006, through Dec. 17, 2006.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will conduct qualifying races next Tuesday and Thursday mornings before opening the 2007 harness racing season on Saturday, March 31, with a 2 p.m. post. Live racing will be held on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday afternoons through November 17.

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